Compact cooling unit



Aug. 15, 1961 A. P. BRANDIMARTE 2,995,905

CQMPACT COOLING UNIT Filed on. 28, 1959 I ALFRED RBRANDIMARTE IINVENTOR.

K ,2 BY Why- A TTORNE Y t d States Patg t if Filed Oct. 28, 1959, Ser.No. 849,263

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-427) This invention relates to refrigerationevaporator coils and has reference to construction of cooling coil unitsfor installation in recessed areas. The operation of cooling coils withassociated air drivmg systems in recessed spaces often presents specialproblems in the attainment of both adequate air circulation andsufficient cooling. Where a cooling unit is to be installed beneath thedashboard of an automobile, for example, useful circulation may berestricted to three directions and the height of the availableinstallation space may greatly limit the diameter of a fan positionedperpendicular to any direction of circulation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling coilconstruction for installation in a confined area and wherein a simpleand economical arrangement of components may be used to provideeflicient circulation and cooling of air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for coolingunits wherein a single motor may be used to drive two fans or twocombination wheels in SlIOCCO type wheel housings and produce adesirable air circulation pattern in an area to be cooled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit of theclass described and wherein its air discharge pattern may be adjusted ormodified to meet particular requirements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for acooling unit adapted for installation in a dimensionally restrictedspace and wherein circulated air may be passed twice over a coolingsurface in an internal flow pattern.

These and other objects willbecome apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, wherein: I

FIGURE 1 is a sectional plan view of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partially sectional front elevational view of theinvention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

In the drawings, a rectangular box like housing is ;hown with its heightas its smallest dimension and with its width greater than its depth;hence, the upper and lower walls 11 and 12 of the housing 10 constituteits largest bounding surfaces whereas the forward and rear walls 13 and'14 are smaller in area than the upper and lower walls, and the sidewalls and 16 are smaller vhan the forward and rear walls. Theillustrated coniguration of the drawing 10 conforms generally to the:pace available for installation of a cooling unit in a .aterallydisposed recess as beneath the dashboard of an automobile, and it isassumed for purposes of the present lescription that the upper, lowerand rear walls 11, 12 ind 14 are confined by the boundaries of aninstallation ;pace and are available as passageways for air circulaion.Within the housing 10 an electric motor 17, in- :luding oppositelyprojecting shafts 18 and 19, is mounted nedially between the side walls15 and 16 and is spaced from the upper, lower, forward and rear walls11, 12, [3 and 14 with its shafts 18 and 19 projecting equidistantytoward the side walls 15 and 16. Fans 20 and 21 are respectively securedto the projecting ends of the shafts l8 and 19 and blades of the twofans are oppositely pitched so that operation of the motor 17 will causeeach fan to impel air inwardly toward the motor as indicated by arrowsin FIGURE 1. v It will be noted that rearrangement of the fans 20 and 21may be utilized to effect a reversal of air flow from that describedabove and shown in FIGURE 1. If blower type impeller wheels in siroccohousings are used instead of fans, the air flow is only as indicated inFIGURE 1.

A U-shaped evaporator coil 22 is also mounted within the housing 10 andis there oriented with its central or closed portion inwardly adjacentthe forward wall 13 of the housing 10 and with its opposite endsprojecting rearwardly so as to be substantially parallel with the sidewalls 15 and 16. The evaporator coil 22 is shown in a conventional formof construction and has a plurality of horizontal evaporator tubes 23passing through a plurality of vertically disposed heat exchange fins24; U- joints 25 communicate the ends of adjacent evaporator tubes 24 toform a closed evaporator system between a suction manifold 26 and anintake manifold 27. The

suction manifold 26 projects laterally and exteriorly of.

the housing 10 where it is provided with a fitting 28 for connectionwith the low pressure side of a refrigerant pump (not shown). Anexpansion valve 29 is positioned within the housing 10 rearwardly of themotor 17 and communicates its low pressure side with the intake manifold27 through a union 30. A liquid line 31 (FIG- URE 2) communicates withthe high pressure side of the expansion valve 29 and projects exteriorlyof the housing 10 where it is provided with a fitting 32 for connectionwith a condenser (not shown).

Lateral partitions 33 and 34 extend vertically between the upper andlower walls 11 and 23 of the housing 10 and are positioned forwardly ofthe respective fans 20 and 21 where they extend laterally from the innersides of the evaporator coil 22 to the respective planes of rotation ofthe fans 20 and 21. Lateral partition extensions 33a and 34arespectively extend, in alignment with the lateral partitions 33 and 34,from the outer sides of the evaporator coil 22 to the side walls 15 and'16 of the housing 10. Shroud plates 35 and 36 integrally formed ascontinuations of the respective lateral partitions 33 and 34 extendrearwa'fdly in the respective planes of rotation of the fans 20 and 21.Circular openings 37 and 38 are provided in the shroud plates toaccommodate the fans 20 and 21. Cylindrical shrouds 39 and 40 may bemounted within the periphery of each circular opening 37 and 38.Deflection partitions 41 and 42, constructed as continuations of therespective shroud plates 35 and 36, are formed arcuately, inwardly andforwardly from the rearward extremities of the shrouds 39 and 40 to thecentral periphery of the motor 17' where the deflection partitions arejoined by a vertical juncture plate 43. Deflection partitions 41a and42a extend laterally and outwardly from the respective rearwardextremities of the shroud plates 35 and 36 to the side walls 15 and 16of the housing 10. A divider partition 44 extends from the center of theU-shaped evaporator coil 22 to the juncture plate 43 where it isprovided with a flange 45 attached to the forward surface of thejuncture plate. The rearward termination of the divider partition 44 andforward portions of the deflection partitions 41 and 42 and the junctureplate 43 are recessed to circumjacently accommodate the motor 17.

Intake ports 46 and 47 are formed in opposite side walls 15 and 16 ofthe housing 10 at positions therein in lateral alignment with the fans20 and 21. A rectangular air discharge grill 48 including stationaryhorizontal louvers 49 is formed in the forward wall 13 of the housing 10and projects forwardly of the remainder of the forward wall. Within therectangular air discharge grill 48 a plurality of circular openings 50,each defined by a peripheral lip 51, are arranged in coplanarrelationship with one another and with the rectangular grill. Arotatable' circular grill 52" defined by a cylindrical bearing surface53 is positioned within each circular opening 50; an annular flange 54,larger in diameter than the circular opening 59 is formed on therearward edge of each cylindrical bearing surface and is positionedrearward of and adjacentthe peripheral lip 51 in'therectangular Inoper'ation; thefans 20 and 2fareset in rotation by the -motor 1-7 "andthe evaporator coil is cooled-byexpansion of an internalrefrigerant-asiswell known in the art; One fan20 impelsair into"thehousing 10*through corresponding intake port 46 and the air thus impelledis-drawn through an end portion of theU-shapedevapor'ato'r coil 22'. Thelateral portion-33, shroud-plate 35', deflection partition 41 anddivider partition 44 define'an internal compartmentforwardlybounded by aportion of'the evaporator coil 22'not' utilized asa cooling sur-- facein the originalintroduction of air into the=housing 10; Air whichhaspassedthrough the shroud 39'is forwardlydefiected by the deflectionpartition-4landpassed over adifierent part-of the evaporator coil 22before being expelled from the housing '10 through the'discharge' grill48: In like manner, the other fan 21 impels air through an intake port47, through an end portion of the evaporator coil'22 and then overacentral portion of the evaporator coil'before expelling cooledair-through thedischargegrill 48. Thus, the respective fans'20 and 21,driven by a single'motor 17, draw' air through intake pforts and 47' inopposite'sides of the housing 10 and each expels air forwardly throughthe dischar'gcgrill after it has been twice exposed to'coolingsurfaces:In passing' through the housing '10 air is subjected to a' single 90change in direction of flow regardless of which'intake port it enters;deflection partitions"41' and 4 2: minimize turbulence'in this'flowpattern.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shownanddescribed; but maybe made in many ways within the scope of theappended claims.

' What isclaimed is:

ll A cooling unit comprising: a box-like housing including a forwardwall and side- Walls; air intake ports in said side walls ofsaidhousing,- an exhaust port substantially coextensive with saidfront wallof said housing, a U-shaped evaporator coil positioned within saidhousing and having its end portions adjacent said air intake ports insaid side walls and having a central portion adjacent saidexhaust portin said front wall, a motor positioned within said housing and includingshafts projecting oppositely therefrom toward said side walls, fanspitched oppositely with respect to one another and respectively attachedto said shafts, partitions respectively extending 'fro'm a position onsaid ll-shaped evaporator coilforward of each fan to theplane ofrotation of each fan and thence rcarwardly in the plane of rotation ofeach fan beyond the rearwardextent' of each fan and thence arcuatelyinwardly and forwardly to the central periphery of said motor, openingsin said partitions to accommodate said fans, shrouds within'saidopenings insaid partitions, and a' central partition extending forwardlyfrom the central periphery'ofsaid motor'to said central portion of saidevaporator coil.

2. A cooling" unit comprising: a housing including a front'wallandsidewalls; intake ports in said sidewalls, an exhaust portinsaidfrontwall, a cooling element positioned within said housing and'having ends' thereof positioned adjacent" saidintake ports in said' sidewalls froirn said shrouds to said central portion of said coolingelement said meanscomprising arcuate vertical partitionsrespectivelyextending from therearward extremities of' said shrouds inwardly andforwardly to the central cir-' cumferen'ceof'said motor, and a centralpartition extending forwardly from the'central periphery of said motorto said central portionof said cooling element;

References Citedin the file'of this" patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,778,732 Seelert- Oct. 21, 1930 2,360,386 Young Oct. 17, 1944 2,486,828i a n r 1949 2,610,484 Lange a.'.-.. Sept.' 16, 1952

